Best New Tennis Racquets

Thanks to a flurry of tech refinements, the new crop of tennis racquets have an edge. To pick the best ones, we recruited tennis consultant Rick Leach, who is a former number-one-ranked doubles player, winner of nine Grand Slams, and a current champ on the 40-plus ITF Senior circuit. He coaches in Newport Beach, California, and instructs current pros Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky. Advising on new racquets is part of his job: "It's a disadvantage for any player if they're not up on the new tech. You can't avoid the fact that our game changes because of it." Launch Gallery >>

Head Prestige S

THE TECH Though it's designed to look like one of the legendary pro racquets, a new version of the Prestige has been engineered for lightness (10.8 oz) with a bigger head, so less-skilled players can make the most of it.

ON THE COURT "It has decent power, control, and forgiveness. There's a near-zero adjustment period," says Leach. "And it whistles when you swing it."

BEST FOR Weekend warriors looking to finally beat the neighbor. [$210; head.com]